Where Were You on 9/11/ 2001?

I was in this rural central Pa town. I had gone shopping for furniture before going to work in the afternoon at the Patriot-News in Harrisburg. I walked into a furniture store and saw all the sales clerks gathered around a TV watching the towers burning. I called my husband who was at work and then I headed right to the newsroom. My thoughts are with those who lost a loved one that day. - Sundra Hominik
 

I was at work when I heard the news. A month later I had the priviledge of serving the American Red Cross at Ground Zero, an experience I will take to my grave. God bless those families who lost loved ones - Bill Harrison

Sick at home, only a 7th grader. I did not know what the WTC was. I am so thankful I had my mom there to help me understand. I remember laying in my floor praying for those people jumping out of the buildings.

I was at home in Yankeetown, Florida watching Good Morning America, and could not believe what was happening. I stayed glued to the TV all day. I just hope our Country never has to deal with another disaster such as that one. May God continue to bless the victim's family and friends, and "God Bless Our Country!"
- Carolyn Craig

I was at home in Johnston RI ten years ago and I was on the computer when it flashed, my husband was watching ESPN and we were calling to each other to look and see what happened, we were then glued to the TV for days it seems. 10 years later I am in Hendersonville, NC and my heart still aches when I ever I see anything about this on the news. Just to sad to watch.
Madeline Marsocci Stonge

I was in Asheville and heard it on the radio ... listened and cried so sad.

My daughters Linda and Susie and I were on our way to Boston. It was time for Susie's many MRI/PET/CT scans to see if the brain tumor had returned. We stopped half-way at Cracker Barrel for breakfast. It was there we learned of what had happened. I will never forget the complexity of the feelings we had. We were puzzled, terrified, and away from our families. We were anxious about knowing if Susie was okay, so we decided to continue on to Boston and Mass General. Waiting another three months, or even three weeks, was not an option. We were about the only ones on the highway going in that direction. The other side of the road, the one coming out of Boston, was jammed. When we got to the hotel we always booked, there were armed Marines all around the hotel and in the lobby. We had to show picture IDs even though we had been there many times and everyone knew us. No, that day will live in my memory bank forever. The good news, at least for right then, was that Susies had no new growth. Little did we know --- we had about seven more precious years with her.
Jennie

Midlothian VA. Driving to work in Sandston, I was talking to a friend in Arlington. Ironically, her housemates who had spent a bit of time on a construction job at the Pentagon that summer were on a job in Richmond. Another friend who worked at the State Department had already been evacuated. RobynB

I was at work in the Phoenix Bldg in downtown Waterbury, CT. The commercial loan department of American Bank of Connecticut occupied the 3rd floor. A customer told one of the employees that there was a terrible accident in NY, that it was believed a small plane had crashed into one of the twin towers. I went home and picked up a portable TV and brought it back to our conference room. I remember watching Peter Jennings on Channel 8 while he tried to figure out what had happened. Jennie was on her way to Boston and she called me from the road to discuss the events that were taking place. I was sure Bush would announce at any moment that the US was declaring war. But he did not. The war we wage was never declared but it became a war that we still wage today.
Richard Frey
 

I was in English class in Suffolk, Virginia waiting on the bell to ring when my History professor ran into our classroom and said that the towers had been hit. I was confused, like many of my classmates. After the bell rang, I went to History class and watched the horrific scene on TV. As a native New Yorker, I just sat there in shock and sadness.
Jennifer Jiggetts

I learned of the planes hitting the World Trade Center towers while I was getting ready for work at the Daily Camera, where I was news editor. I hurried and drove in. About the time I reached the middle school, the correspondent on the radio said one of the towers was collapsing.
I knew our publisher might give the go-ahead for an extra edition, so after I reached work, I talked with our photo toner and began feeding her photos from the wires. Then I began calling people on my staff. We were a morning newspaper, so I had to wake them up, make sure they were awake and then tell them what was happening to the country. Every person I reached came in. We put out the extra. We set up for the next day. Then, late at night, we went home.
I hugged my wife. We stood upstairs with the television off for a time, neither of us speaking, as fighter jets, presumably F-16s from the local National Guard base, howled through the sky.
Many thoughts remain with me after that day. In terms of journalism, one stands out: Our editor and publisher came over to me at one point as everyone was getting to work on the extra, looked me squarely in the eye and cautioned me, "Report only what we know." I have thought of her saying that many times in my career as an editor since that day.
-- Michael Thompson
 

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I worked in downtown Manhattan just a few blocks from the World Trade Center. Rev. Michael Lee
(Read the rest of his story in Sunday's Times-News)

I received an urgent call from Jillian who was two weeks into her freshman year at Norwich University. I hadnt turned on my TV that morning and was unaware of the attack. My thoughts raced from jillian to Diana and Anthony, to Mom and my sisters on their way into Boston at that time.
Chris Curley

I was at work when we got the news of the first plane hitting the Twin Tower. We all went to the break room and turned on the TV and watched in horror as the second plane hit and then the news of the plane hitting the Pentagon. The horror of that day was something I will never forgot, then the silence in the skies for the days afterwards was a constant eerie reminder.

I was at work and someone came in and told a member of our department that a plane flew into one of the Trade Center Bldgs. The person got a TV from a classroom and turned it on. Everyone in our department stood up and watched in horror. - Julia McMinn

I had worked the late shift the night before so when the phone rang at 9:00 am, it woke me up. It was my brother calling to tell me that a plane had hit the world trade center -- I didn't believe him. (In retrospect it’s amazing that his call got through) By the time I got myself together, out of bed and awake - I turned on the TV - but there was no reception (I didn't have cable). Then I climbed up on my roof only to see a dozen neighbors doing the same thing: staring unbelievably at a massive white and black plume of smoke that once was my pristine view of the twin towers. My neighbor (whom I had never met before) screamed: “did you see it, did you see it – oh my God.” Liz Claus

Ron Menzies now of Tryon, N.C. was in Los Angeles. Watch a video of what he recalls.
 

 

 

 

On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, last year thousands paused to remember the 9/11 victims in Brevard, N.C. The fire department held a memorial service and a huge flag was hung between two fire engines.